Frank Zappa once said, “If you want an education, go to the library.” On Thursday, August 1, his proteges are taking his advice to heart, with Zappa tribute act Banned From Utopia and the Paul Green Rock Academy bringing the authentic Zappa experience to the Trefz Forum at The Westport Library.
Doors open at 6 pm and the show runs until 9 pm. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here.
Featuring Robert Martin, Ray White, and Scott Thunes, all former members of Zappa's touring band, Banned From Utopia has kept Zappa’s legacy alive since 1994, honoring his most intricate compositions and preserving the lively chaos of the signature Zappa show. After meeting the Paul Green Rock Academy and bonding over their mutual enthusiasm for the eccentric composer at the Zappanale festival in East Germany, the two bands decided to join forces and celebrate every era of Zappa’s music on their Summer 2024 We Love Zappa Tour.
Martin (vocals, keys, and brass), White (vocals and guitar), and Thunes (vocals and bass) played key roles in Zappa’s touring band from 1976 through 1988. After the loss of one of the most eclectic and influential figures in rock history, they channeled their knowledge, expertise, and love of Zappa’s genius into Banned From Utopia. With 25 years of touring under their belt, their ensemble now also includes colleagues Robbie “Seahag” Mangano (vocals and guitar), Jamie Kime (guitar), and Joel Taylor (drums) of fellow Zappa projects including Project/Object, Zappa Plays Zappa, and The Grandmothers of Invention.
The Paul Green Rock Academy (PGRA) is the latest music school from School of Rock founder Paul Green. Admission to the academy is audition-based and granted only to serious and ambitious young musicians looking to hone their skills under the guidance of the academy’s namesake. With an impressive portfolio of countless festivals, tours, and film productions, Green’s musical mastery is one to be rivaled. His students are no different — they’ve spent the last three years touring as the backing band for both Jon Anderson of YES and Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers.
Green’s students have similarly described their teacher, affectionately, as “eccentric,” making his musical philosophy and teaching methods a perfect stylistic match for Banned From Utopia. Green incorporates his favorite artists from his youth into his curriculum, from REO Speedwagon to Smashing Pumpkins and everything in between — especially Zappa, whose works he refers to as “one-stop shopping for music education.”
Aside from the presence of modal theory, time signatures, and the innovative genre crossovers woven throughout Zappa’s discography, Green’s eyes were opened to the fun and conviviality of Zappa audiences when School of Rock served as the supporting act for Project/Object at the Trocadero in Philadelphia in 2002.
Over the years, that love and enthusiasm for Zappa’s music has only amplified among his fans. And now it’s coming to The Westport Library.
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Ed. note: Story published July 22 and updated July 24.
